We get a lot of email at Firearms And Safety Training Orange County. These are some of the most common question we receive, so hopefully this can save you some time:

Q. I have no experience and have never fired a gun can I still come to you?

A. Absolutely. In fact, it's easier for us to teach a person the correct way to shoot a gun than it is to teach someone who has developed bad habits already. We teach from the ground up although people can dive in at a level appropriate to the experience they have already.

Q. I don't own a gun and I'm not sure which gun to buy - can you help me choose?

A. We don't teach people then forget about them, we will happily help you figure out what first gun is most suitable for you. We understand that to people new to firearms it can be bewildering and there is a lot of contradicting information out there. The bottom line is it is a very personal choice based on want you want from it.

Q. I am not comfortable with guns is this normal for a new student?

A. Yes, it is normal. The reason most people are afraid of guns is because they do not know much about them. Knowledge and experience are the key components in developing confidence in anything we do. We will help you bring about a healthy respect for firearms along with attitude, knowledge and skills necessary to have one in your life responsibly and safely. Firearms are by nature very dangerous if you do not know how to properly handle them.

Q. Do you do private or family/group lessons/classes?

A. Absolutely. Drop us an email or give us a call so we can arrange something for you, whether it's a class we already run or if you would like something specifically tailored for your group or family.

We can also arrange for one on one or two on one tuition by the hour for those wanting to improve and/or refine skills.

Q. I have been shooting guns most of my life, do you have anything for me?

A. Absolutely. We can help you tune your skill set and help maintain that. Shooting is a perishable skill and we are very much of the attitude of a student for life. We have staff members that have shot from a young age and developed recognized excellence in their fields, and now train people of all levels - all of them are still students of the gun.

We also encourage people - our instructors included - to constantly train with different people and companies.

Q. Can you help me learn how to protect myself and my family against a violent intruder?

A. Yes, our NRA Personal Protection Inside The Home is the perfect starting point. We have a Deputy Sheriff or an Attorney at each class to cover the legal side and our instruction team to cover the practical side of defensive shooting. We also have developed a follow up course to get into advanced aspects of protecting your home. On top of that we will soon be running range sessions to help hone and maintain skills developed.

Q. Will I be the only woman in the class?

A. It's unlikely, female students account for a good percentage of our students.

Q. Do you have any women only classes?

A. No. The lessons and techniques we teach apply across the board.

Q. What is the minimum age requirement?

A. A parent or guardian is required to take the class along with a child under the age of 18. We ask you, the parent, "Do you feel comfortable with the child next to you with a loaded gun?" If you have any doubts, wait a couple of years. Children are actually easier to teach than adults, because they tend to absorb new knowledge and haven't been exposed to a lot of the fallacy surrounding firearms in popular culture.